DINWIDDIE COUNTY, Va. β Fifth-grade students from Cool Springs Elementary got a hands-on history lesson Friday at Dinwiddie County Airport, where they explored a World War II fighter plane similar to those flown by the Tuskegee Airmen.
The field trip featured an original P-51 Mustang and educational presentations from the Rise Above Squadron, part of the Commemorative Air Force.
"This is my aircraft, I won this aircraft and I fly it often," said John Mazza, the World War II plane owner, as he guided students through the historic aircraft.
Mazza showed students various parts of the plane, explaining, "This plane, during the war, the radios would located in that location."
The Rise Above Squadron came to teach students about two significant groups in aviation history: the Tuskegee Airmen, who were the first Black military pilots in the U.S. Armed Forces, and the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPS).
"The Rise Above Squadron tells the story of the Tuskegee Airmen and the WASPS, through Historic Aircraft," said Chris Allen from the Rise Above Squadron.
Students watched short films about the roles these pioneering aviators played during World War II.
"At the end of the day. It's really critical information that've got to know that men like the Tuskegee Airmen and Women like the WASPS paved the way through considerable obstacles, through consideration trail for al the opportunities available to them in 2025 and none more so than aviation," Allen said.
The students appeared to enjoy the unique learning experience.
"Today has been good," said Zamiyah Graves, a Cool Springs Elementary 5th grader, who noted she learned about the WWII planes.
Amesha Miller, a fifth-grade teacher at Cool Springs Elementary, emphasized the importance of this history lesson.
"There were a lot of things that happened before today that gives us the freedom that we have now and that is very important to never forget," Miller said.
The Guide Right Foundation funded the Rise Above Squadron's visit to the area. Scott Johnson, the foundation's president, hopes the experience will inspire students.
"[We want them] to actually visualize and see themselves in a position that they can do the same thing," Johnson said.
Mazza highlighted the courage of the Tuskegee Airmen, saying, "They were some brave souls, first of all to put up with what they had to put up with and yet kept going and going strong."
He added that the story of these aviators shows that "determination and never giving up you can do just about anything you want in America."
The display at the Dinwiddie County Airport will be open to the public Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
"At the end of the day, we are better off 80 years later for the sacrifices these groups made than we would be," Allen said.
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